1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a controller of, for example, a television game device, and, more particularly, to a game controller which allows a player to enjoy, for example, virtually fishing in a game while making the player feel that fishing in the game more closely resembles the act of actually catching a fish as a result of adjusting the load exerted on the controller.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various kinds of software have been designed for recent TV games. For example, software which allows a person to, for example, virtually catch a fish in TV games is being sold.
In TV games, a controller incorporates various functions to allow a player playing a game to virtually carry out something in accordance with the content of the software while making the player feel that, for example, catching a fish in the game more closely resembles the act of actually catching a fish.
FIG. 4 schematically illustrates the structure of a conventional controller. A controller 1 is a special-purpose device used in a crane game, particularly, a fishing game. The controller 1 includes a grip (not shown) corresponding to the base end of a fishing rod, and a winding section 2 formed in imitation of a reel which winds up a fishing line.
A handle 3 is rotatably supported by the winding section 2 of the controller 1. The handle 3 corresponds to an operating handle for turning the reel on the fishing rod. When the player catches a fish in the game, the fishing line can be wound up by rotating the handle 3 in the direction of arrow xcex11, making it possible for the player to enjoy virtually catching a fish in the game.
A gear 3b which rotates integrally with the handle 3 is provided on a rotary shaft 3a of the handle 3, and engages a connecting gear 4 provided adjacent to the gear 3b. The controller 1 includes a motor 5 for generating a load torque acting in a direction opposite to the direction in which the handle 3 is wound up. A gear 5a provided on a rotary shaft of the motor 5 and the connecting gear 4 engage each other. A motor controlling circuit 6 is provided at the motor 5 in order to control the rotation of the motor 5 by a command from the body of a game device (not shown).
When a fish is caught during the game, a control signal S is emitted from the body of the game device to the motor controlling circuit 6 of the controller 1. Driving electrical power required to rotate the motor 5 is supplied from a driving electrical power supply Ecc through the motor controlling circuit 6. This causes the motor 5 to be rotationally driven in the direction of arrow xcex21 shown in FIG. 4. When the motor 5 is rotated in the direction of arrow xcex21, a speed-decreasing gear 3b of the handle 3 is rotated in the direction of xcex12 shown in FIG. 4 through the connecting gear 4. This causes the handle 3 to rotate in a direction opposite to the winding direction (that is, the direction of arrow xcex11), so that a load torque is produced on the handle 3. The controller 1 causes the player to feel this load torque, indicating to the player that a fish has been caught.
For example, when the motor 5 is not rotated in the opposite direction (that is, when no load is exerted on the motor 5), it becomes easier to wind the handle 3, thereby indicating to the player that a fish has not been caught. On the other hand, when the motor 5 is rotated in the opposite direction (so that the handle 3 rotates in the direction of arrow xcex12), it becomes difficult to rotate the handle 3 in the winding direction (that is, in the direction of arrow xcex11). Accordingly, when the player finds it difficult to wind the handle 3 when operating it, the player feels as if he or she has caught a fish. Therefore, the player feels that catching a fish in the game more closely resembles the act of actually catching a fish.
However, in the conventional controller 1, a load torque is exerted on the handle 3 by rotating the motor 5 in the direction opposite to the direction in which the handle 3 is wound, so that the driving electrical power supply Ecc for rotationally driving the motor 5 is required. Thus, a cable for supplying electrical power is required, making it difficult to make the controller 1 cordless. The controller 1 may be made cordless by incorporating a battery used for driving the motor 5 in the controller 1. However, when the motor 5 is driven by a battery, the battery consumption time is shortened. Therefore, a large battery with a large capacity is required, or a plurality of batteries must be connected in a parallel arrangement, so that the controller 1 becomes heavy.
In addition, in the case where a load torque is produced, that is, when a fish is caught, when the player lets go of the handle 3 (called a handle free state), the handle 3 is rotated in the opposite direction. Therefore, conventionally, it has been necessary to provide a clutch mechanism or the like to prevent the handle 3 from rotating in the opposite direction. When a clutch pad in the clutch mechanism wears, it becomes impossible to prevent the handle 3 from rotating in the reverse direction.
A predetermined load torque is produced by applying a certain previously set voltage to the motor 5. Therefore, it is difficult to make the player feel the load in accordance with how much the handle 3 is wound up between the time immediately after the fish is caught and the time the fish is pulled up.
To overcome the above-described conventional problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a game controller which can produce a load torque on a handle without applying electrical power.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a game controller which allows a player to, for example, virtually catch a fish in a game while feeling that fishing in the game more closely resembles the act of actually catching a fish as a result of applying a load torque onto the handle in accordance with the size of an input rotational force applied to the handle by the player.
To this end, according to the present invention, there is provided a game controller comprising:
rotational operating means;
rotation-detecting means for obtaining a detection output in accordance with a rotation of the rotational operating means; and
load-generating means for exerting a load on the rotational operating means;
wherein the load-generating means comprises a rotor rotated by the rotational operating means, a stator opposing the rotor, a magnet provided in either one of the rotor and the stator, a coil provided in either of the other of the rotor and the stator, and switching means for switching between an insulated state and a short-circuited state at both ends of the coil.
Although not exclusive, the game controller may be such that a closed circuit is formed by both ends of the coil, and the switching means for switching between an insulated state and a short-circuited state at both ends of the coil, wherein the switching means provided in the closed circuit is controllable from outside the closed circuit.
In the present invention, when the rotor side is rotated while both ends of the coil are short-circuited, a counter electromotive force can be produced between both ends of the coil, making it possible to produce a load torque which acts in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the rotor. Therefore, it becomes unnecessary to supply electrical power required to generate a load torque from outside the controller. In other words, a load torque can be produced without a driving electrical power supply.
When the switching means which causes both ends of the coil to be short-circuited is operated from outside the controller, it can be controlled so as to produce or not produce a load torque. When the handle (that is, the rotational operating means) of the controller is rotated quickly, a large load torque is produced, whereas, when the handle is rotated slowly, a small load torque is produced. In other words, a load torque proportional to the rotational speed of the handle (that is, the size of the rotational force input to the handle) can be produced, so that a player operating the controller can, for example, virtually fish in a game while feeling that fishing in the game more closely resembles the act of actually catching a fish.
When a closed circuit is formed by both ends of the coil and the switching means for switching between an insulated state and a short-circuited state at both ends of the coil, and when the switching means provided in the closed circuit is controllable from outside the closed circuit, the switching means provided in the closed circuit may comprise a switching element for switching between the insulated state and the short-circuited state at both ends of the coil, and signal-transmitting means for controlling the switching element, and the switching element may be operated by applying a control signal to the signal-transmitting means from outside the signal-transmitting means.
In the above-described structure, it is possible to achieve electrical insulation between the input side (that is, the primary side) of the switching element to which a control signal is applied and the secondary side where switching between an electrically insulated state and a short-circuited state between both ends of the coil is performed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent electrical current at the secondary side from flowing around the primary side. Consequently, neither excessive electrical current nor excessive electrical voltage flows to or is applied to the primary side, so that it is possible to prevent failures from occurring at the controlling section (that is the game device body) side.
When the switching means provided in the closed circuit comprises a switching element for switching between the insulated state and the short-circuited state at both ends of the coil, and signal-transmitting means for controlling the switching element, and when the switching element is operated by applying a control signal to the signal-transmitting means from outside the signal-transmitting means, the game controller may further comprise means for controlling a duty ratio of the control signal applied to the signal-transmitting means, wherein the size of a rotational load of the rotational operating means is controllable by varying the duty ratio.
When the switching means provided in the closed circuit comprises a switching element for switching between the insulated state and the short-circuited state at both ends of the coil, and signal-transmitting means for controlling the switching element, and when the switching element is operated by applying a control signal to the signal-transmitting means from outside the signal-transmitting means, the signal-transmitting means may be either an optically coupled element or a magnetically coupled element.
In the above-described structure, by controlling the switching element by the controlling section, the size of the electrical current produced by the counter electromotive force generated in the coil can be adjusted, so that the size of the load torque which acts in a direction preventing rotation of the rotor can be varied. Therefore, a player can enjoy virtually fishing in a game while feeling that fishing in the game more closely resembles the act of actually catching a fish.
The optically coupled element is, for example, a photocoupler, and the magnetically coupled element is, for example, a pulse transistor. Other isolation amplifiers may also be used.